Encore Capital Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ECPG) Shares Purchased by Marshall Wace LLP

Marshall Wace LLP raised its holdings in Encore Capital Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ECPG - Free Report) by 73.1% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 318,096 shares of the asset manager's stock after acquiring an additional 134,309 shares during the period. Marshall Wace LLP owned approximately 1.34% of Encore Capital Group worth $15,195,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the stock. Jane Street Group LLC raised its holdings in shares of Encore Capital Group by 191.7% during the 3rd quarter. Jane Street Group LLC now owns 49,719 shares of the asset manager's stock worth $2,350,000 after acquiring an additional 32,672 shares during the period. Barclays PLC grew its position in Encore Capital Group by 22.9% in the third quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 197,903 shares of the asset manager's stock worth $9,355,000 after acquiring an additional 36,822 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC increased its stake in Encore Capital Group by 2.5% during the third quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 570,047 shares of the asset manager's stock worth $26,952,000 after acquiring an additional 13,648 shares during the last quarter. Sheets Smith Wealth Management lifted its stake in shares of Encore Capital Group by 3.0% in the 4th quarter. Sheets Smith Wealth Management now owns 14,278 shares of the asset manager's stock valued at $682,000 after purchasing an additional 416 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Janney Capital Management LLC boosted its position in shares of Encore Capital Group by 35.8% during the 4th quarter. Janney Capital Management LLC now owns 9,754 shares of the asset manager's stock worth $466,000 after purchasing an additional 2,570 shares during the period.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts recently issued reports on the company. StockNews.com lowered Encore Capital Group from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a research note on Wednesday. Truist Financial lowered their price objective on shares of Encore Capital Group from $64.00 to $57.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, February 27th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $62.67.

Insider Transactions at Encore Capital Group

In other news, CEO Ashish Masih acquired 20,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, March 5th. The shares were bought at an average price of $35.14 per share, with a total value of $702,800.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the chief executive officer now owns 322,254 shares in the company, valued at $11,324,005.56. This trade represents a 6.62 % increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, Director Ashwini Gupta bought 40,000 shares of Encore Capital Group stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 5th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $35.10 per share, with a total value of $1,404,000.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director now directly owns 96,909 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,401,505.90. The trade was a 70.29 % increase in their position. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. Corporate insiders own 2.63% of the company's stock.

Encore Capital Group Stock Down 1.2 %

NASDAQ ECPG traded down $0.43 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $34.38. 272,076 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 188,976. The company has a quick ratio of 1.11, a current ratio of 1.11 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.39. The firm has a market cap of $814.50 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -4.38 and a beta of 1.58. The company has a 50 day moving average of $35.45 and a two-hundred day moving average of $43.71. Encore Capital Group, Inc. has a 52-week low of $26.45 and a 52-week high of $51.77.

Encore Capital Group (NASDAQ:ECPG - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 26th. The asset manager reported $1.50 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.55 by ($0.05). The firm had revenue of $265.62 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $373.40 million. Encore Capital Group had a positive return on equity of 12.70% and a negative net margin of 13.91%. Equities research analysts anticipate that Encore Capital Group, Inc. will post 5.09 earnings per share for the current year.

Encore Capital Group Company Profile

Encore Capital Group, Inc, a specialty finance company, provides debt recovery solutions and other related services for consumers across financial assets worldwide. The company purchases portfolios of defaulted consumer receivables at deep discounts to face value, as well as manages them by working with individuals as they repay their obligations and works toward financial recovery.